More Morris Hills swine flu cases suspected

Photo by Aleaxanrda Pais/For The Star-LedgerAttandance was 'normal' today at the high school where four freshmen last week came down with mild cases of swine flu.

ROCKAWAY--Three more Morris Hills High School students might have swine flu, borough health officer Mark Caputo said today.

The revelation came after Morris Hills Regional Superintendent Ernest Palestis said earlier that school attendance did not appear to be affected by flu concerns, and that three of the four freshmen confirmed last week to have the H1N1 influenza virus were back in classes.

Palestis could not be reached for comment after Caputo revealed the probable cases this evening.

If confirmed to have the H1N1 influenza virus, they would increase the number of district students with swine flu to seven.

A confirmation could come by Friday, Caputo said. He could not provide any details of the students.

Morris County Health Officer Peter Summers said the three students were tested over the weekend. They were not seriously ill, he said, and were recovering at home.

County health officials are also waiting for test results for three other samples that are not related to a school in the area, he said.

The four students confirmed to have the illness had been out since May 15 after they complained of flu-like symptoms. They were later tested for the virus.

School officials on Thursday learned that the swine flu was the likely cause, following an analysis done at a state laboratory in Trenton. A notice about the situation was distributed to Morris Hills parents on Thursday and was posted on the district's Web site.

Authorities were able to confirm it Friday morning.

The cases were the first ones confirmed in Morris County, with the number of cases statewide growing significantly, state officials said today.

There are now 56 confirmed cases in 11 counties in the state, according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, and 31 new cases have been confirmed since late Thursday.

The Morris Hills Regional School District serves students in Rockaway, Rockaway Township, Denville and Wharton and has two high schools: the Morris Hills and Morris Knolls schools.

The district spent the long Memorial Day weekend disinfecting buses and its two schools, addressing areas such as handrails, door handles and tables.

Palestis was unable to provide information about any probable cases this morning, but he said he believed doctors were referring students with flu-like symptoms for H1N1 testing.

"The doctors are doing what the health officials are recommending," he said.